310 B. C. The Carthaginians defeated Agathocles, who nevertheless
carried the war into Africa.
711. RODERICK, the last of the Goths, is overthrown by Tarik, or Xeres,
upon the Guadelete, in Spain.
1298. Battle of Falkirk; the Scots under Wallace defeated with great
slaughter by the English under Edward I. Wallace escaped, but his sun
had now sunk forever, and the remainder of his life was spent in his
native forests, a fugitive. The number of slain in the Scottish army is
by some represented as high as 50,000. Guy, earl of Warwick, "the black
dog of Arden," then a young adventurer for fame, signalized his prowess
in the ranks of Edward on this occasion.
1403. Battle of Shrewsbury, in which the forces under Douglas, Percy and
Owen Glendower were defeated, and the earl of Northumberland's son,
Henry Hotspur, slain.
1461. CHARLES VII, king of France, died. He succeeded in driving the
English from his kingdom, by the assistance of Joan of Arc; but having
restored peace he relapsed into sensuality, and died of anguish and
starvation at the undutiful conduct of his son.
1534. JOHN FRITH and ANDREW HEWET burnt at Smithfield for heretical
opinions relative to the sacrament; Henry VIII king.
1575. PETERS and TURWERT, two anabaptists, burnt at Smithfield, in
presence of an immense crowd of spectators.
1581. RICHARD COX, bishop of Ely, died. He was the chief framer of the
liturgy, and translator of the Bible, called _The Bishop's Bible_, made
in the reign of Elizabeth.
1589. HENRY III, of France, assassinated. His reign was distracted by
the quarrels between the catholics and protestants, till he fell a
victim to the zeal of a priest named Clement, and the house of Valois
became extinct.
1674. GERBRANT VANDEN EECKHOUT, a Dutch painter, died. He was a pupil
of Rembrant, whom he rivaled in merit and popularity.
1676. Pope CLEMENT X died. He was a Roman, and in disposition mild.
1686. City of Albany incorporated.
1698. CLAUDE BOYER, a dramatic writer, died at Paris.
1704. Gibraltar (_Gebel al Tarik_, the mountain of Tarik, where the
Saracens landed), taken by the British under sir Geo. Rooke, in whose
possession it has ever since continued.
1706. Treaty for the union of Scotland with England signed. It was
ratified by parliament and queen Anne, and went into operation May 1,
the following year.
1734. PETER KING, chancellor of England, died. He was a grocer and
salter in his boyhood, that being the trade of his father; but his
genius soared to higher occupations, and he became a student. His
abilities were appreciated and rewarded by a succession of high and
responsible offices.
1763. JOHN DALTON, an English divine, died. He prepared Milton's masque
of _Comus_ for the stage; sought out the poet's grand-daughter, then
overwhelmed with age and poverty, and procured her a benefit which
produced £120. His works consist of sermons, poems, &c.
1776. The foundation stone of the far-famed observatory on Calton hill,
near Edinburgh, Scotland, was laid.
1779. Battle of Minisink.
1793. The city of Mentz surrendered to the Prussians.
1794. JOHN BENJAMIN DE LA BORDE, a French writer, guillotined. He was
valet to Louis XV, upon whose death he was appointed farmer-general.
1802. Action between the United States frigate Constellation, captain
Murray, and 9 Tripolitan gun boats. Four of them were driven on shore,
and the remainder took shelter in Tripoli.
1802. MARIE FRANCIS XAVIER BICHAT, an eminent French physician and
author, died, aged 31.
1805. Action off Feroll, between the British fleet, 11 sail, and the
French and Spanish fleets, in which the latter were defeated with the
loss of two large ships captured.
1807. Battle of Novoleski; the advance of the Russians under prince
Bagration defeated a strong body of French chasseurs with great
slaughter, taking only 150 prisoners. Bagration rushed on, and near
Mohiloff a sanguinary action took place. French loss 4,000; Russians
lost 3,000.
1812. Battle of Salamanca, in Spain; the British under Wellington
defeated the French under Marmont, who lost an arm. Of the French, 7,000
were taken prisoners, and it was owing to the night and Clausel's skill
and science that the army was saved from destruction. British loss
5,220.
1813. GEORGE SHAW died; an eminent English naturalist and writer on
zoology, and principal keeper of natural history in the British museum.
1823. WILLIAM BERTRAM, a distinguished American botanist died, aged 82.
His father was the first American who conceived and carried into effect
the design of a botanical garden, for the cultivation of American plants
as well as exotics.
1826. JOSEPH PIAZZI, a celebrated astronomer, died at Palermo. He made a
new catalogue of the stars, consisting of 7,646, and in 1801 discovered
an eighth planet, which he named Ceres Ferdinandia. He is the author of
several scientific works.
1832. FRANCIS CHARLES JOSEPH BONAPARTE, duke of Reichstadt, died, aged
21. He was the only son of Napoleon Bonaparte and Maria Louisa; is said
to have possessed distinguished talents, united with great kindness of
disposition, and early gave indications that his ruling passion was
military ambition.
1833. WILLIAM THOMPSON died at Hickory hill, Baltimore county, Md., aged
112.
1836. ARMAND CARREL, a French republican, killed in a duel. He was
principal editor of the _Nationel_ of Paris. A monument by David is over
his grave.
1839. Ghuznee, one of the strongest places in Asia, defended by a
garrison of 3,500 Afghans, under a son of the ex-king of Cabul, was
taken by the British under general Keane; 500 of the garrison being
killed and the rest taken. British loss about 200.
1850. SARAH MARGARET FULLER D'OSSOLI, a distinguished American
authoress, with her husband and child, perished near Fire island, on
their homeward passage to New York.
1852. EXCELMANS, a noted French general, died at Paris, aged 77. He
first gained distinction under Oudinot, in 1799; commanded a part of the
cavalry at Waterloo, and was raised to the dignity of marshal of France.
1854. A new planet was discovered by the astronomer Hind, from the
observatory at Regents park, London.